FFXIV’s Patch 6.21 makes Hephaistos a little more manageable for players
Square Enix released Patch 6.21 for Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) which lowered the raid boss Hephaistos' HP. In addition, the FFXIV development team has put out a statement regarding illegitimate waymarks that were put in place by third-party tools.
Babylon’s Fall to end service in February of 2023 after just one year
Square Enix has announced that service for the action RPG Babylon’s Fall will be coming to an end at the end of February 2023. Babylon’s Fall initially released in March of this year for PC (Steam), PS4, and PS5.
Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode stage names are parody poems in the Japanese version
Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode stage names in the Japanese version have been a good source of laughs for players in Japan as they parody the poem-like slogans many real estate companies in the country use (マンションポエム/apartment poems).
Splatoon 3 players can’t stop making ridiculous lockers
Splatoon 3’s locker customization feature has become a hot topic on social media. Not only has it been trending for multiple days on Twitter in Japan, but the posts just keep coming. These new lockers are a great feature for laughs or for those of us with a bit more design sense.
Splatoon 3 records highest sales in Japan for any Switch title within the first three days
Nintendo has announced that domestic sales for Splatoon 3 have surpassed 3.45 million units in the first three days since its launch on September 9. “This is the highest domestic sales level for any Nintendo Switch software within the first three days.”
Taimanin GOGO! gives the popular adult series an all-ages roguelike action twist
Taimanin GOGO! is the latest title in the Taimanin series and a roguelike action game featuring chibi style characters. The game’s protagonist is Shinobu Oma, a girl who strongly proclaims she does not want to become a Taimanin. The story starts with Shinobu being transported to another world from modern day Japan.
The Dreamcast VM2 is an unofficial successor to the VMU memory card
The Dreamcast VM2 is an unofficial next-gen version of the Dreamcast VMU memory card. The VM2 looks the same as the original VMU but comes equipped with upgrades like a higher resolution LCD screen and Micro-USB port.
Radirgy 2, the first numbered sequel in the shmup series, has been announced
Vertical shmup Radirgy 2 (working title) is due out in Summer 2023 and will be available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. The game marks the first new title in the shmup series since Radirgy Swag was released in 2019.
Splatoon 3 lets boyish Inklings wear skirts, so players can gear up how they please
Splatoon 3 is now available, and the community is already buzzing about changes around clothing in the series. No matter what appearance players choose for their character, they now have more freedom when choosing what clothing they want to wear.
Splatoon 2 player reaches Rank X using only their feet
VTuber Miro Amakusa has pulled off the seemingly impossible and reached Rank X in Splatoon 2 while being restricted to only using their feet to control the game. The VTuber began the challenge on August 14, 2021, and was able to complete it in roughly one year.
Oshiiro is a Japanese horror game where you exorcise evil spirits by swinging a light stick
Oshiiro is a 3D horror game that provides a fresh take on the genre by having players swing a light stick in order to battle evil spirits. The evil spirits possess bracelets or other features that change color, and players must repel them by changing their light stick to the matching color and swinging it a set number of times
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are getting Auto Battles and fans are welcoming it
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Pokémon SV) are getting Auto Battles. Pokémon Legends: Arceus added a number of features while in the field to streamline the gameplay, and “Let’s Go!” and Auto Battles seem like a further extension of that.
Multiplayer horror game Kakuriyo has been officially announced for Steam
Kakuriyo is a cooperative horror game where the objective is to escape from a realm where evil spirits roam. The game supports online multiplayer for up to four players. Kakuriyo is set to launch in spring 2023 for Steam.
It was a human is a new psychedelic sci-fi interrogation visual novel
It was a human is a short psychedelic sci-fi interrogation visual novel being developed by LOSER/S where the player must question a suspect in a mutilation murder case. The protagonist is tasked with interrogating the suspect, questioning her about her motive and the methods used to carry out the crime.
Salamence is finally back on solid ground in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
A new trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Pokémon SV) was released and one smaller detail fans didn’t fail to notice was that Salamence was standing on solid ground. From Pokémon X and Y onward, Salamence’s standby animation was suspended in air.
In this isekai RPG, a hero becomes an IT intern in modern-day Japan
Beyond, a cloud and server operations company, has released Tensei shitara Beyond no Intern Datta Ken, which can be translated as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Beyond Intern. It’s an RPG where players can experience what it’s like to be an intern at the company.
Capcom warns players of illegal mods in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak [UPDATE]
Capcom has released a notice warning players about illegally modified game data in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. It asks players to avoid creating or using illegally modified Anomaly Investigations. These modified Anomaly Investigations have become such a big deal that they even started trending on Twitter in Japan.
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls mascot Pinya Korata is getting a $1,200 ceramic statue
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls mascot Pinya Korata is getting a $1,200 ceramic statue (bizen ware statue). Only 15 of these statues will be produced and they will be available for 165,000 yen (roughly $1,170) each.
FFXIV sees illicit waymarks proliferating in one of its high-level raids
Final Fantasy XIV's Pandaemonium – Abyssos: The Seventh Circle (Savage) raid is seeing an increase in the use of illicit waymarks, and these waymarks have been dubbed "rule bypassing waymarks" by FFXIV players in Japan.
The Taimanin series is getting a new title called Taimanin GOGO!
Gremory has released a teaser site for Taimanin GOGO! the latest title in the Taimanin series. The game is scheduled to release this fall for iOS and Android.
Steam’s Japanese language userbase share is trending upward again as PC gaming continues to grow in the country
Valve has released their Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for August 2022. An especially interesting piece of data within it shows an increase in the share of users who have their language set to Japanese.
A video game that can assist in early detection of glaucoma developed by Japanese university
Meteor Blaster is a mobile game that can assist in the early detection of glaucoma. A demo version is currently available as a browser game for iOS and Android.